Marble Knives

[Rick S]

Bought a half dozen of the new production Marble knives seven or eight years ago. I liked the way they looked and the dealer dropped his price when I hesitated buying. Have to think long and hard before parting with money and I wasn't trying to get him down on the prices. He then offered me a really good deal on all he had. So I bought them.

Haven't tried them out yet and to be honest don't know exactly where the are in my junk room. Two questions I have are these a good Quality knife and do they have any collector value?

 

[Hoodoo]

So you are talking around 2003? Large finger guard like the bottom one?

The first couple years I think the knives were pretty good. After that, I'm not really sure.

 

[Rick S]

Mine would be the older ones. Haven't looked at them since buying and they are packed away in their original boxes in my junk room. The steel was something like 5500 ball bearing steel and hardened and tempered in a vacuum. At least that was the claim.

Actually forgot I had them until I saw a post on the Forum about a Marble hatchet.

 

[Hoodoo]

Mine would be the older ones. Haven't looked at them since buying and they are packed away in their original boxes in my junk room. The steel was something like 5500 ball bearing steel and hardened and tempered in a vacuum. At least that was the claim.

Actually forgot I had them until I saw a post on the Forum about a Marble hatchet.

The steel would be 52100 ball bearing steel. Lot of variability in the quality of those, especially around 2000-2001. Cryo treating stopped around that time too, from what I heard. IIRC, they had three guys just dealing with the returns. But they should have collector's value. They go for 5-30% more than what they sold for originally from what I've seen here in Michigan. You can date them using the following scheme for the handle spacers:

B=Black
Br=Brass
W=White
R=Red

1997: B-Br-R-R-Br-B-Br (pattern reverses on pommel end of handle).

1998: B-W-Br-R-R-Br-W-B

1999: B-Br-W-R-R-W-Br-B

2000: B-Br-Br-W-R-W-Br-Br-B

Most of mine date from 97-2000 and the quality is there. But living here in Michigan, I've handled a ton of them and did a lot of sorting when I was buying.

 

[Rick S]

Thanks for the information. Need to clean the man cave and dig them out. Its just such a big project that I keep putting it off. Maybe in the Spring.